What's the air quality in Swale? NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
In 2025 the average resident of Swale lived with background NO₂ of 8.8 µg/m³, High for England and Wales and below the WHO guideline of 10. PM2.5 was 8.5 µg/m³, Very High for England and Wales and 1.7 times the WHO guideline of 5. The typical area in England and Wales has NO₂ of 7.2 and PM2.5 of 7.4 µg/m³.
- PM2.5
- 8.5 µg/m³
- NO₂ for England and Wales
- High
- Figures for
- 2025 annual average
Modelled background levels averaged over where residents live (Census 2021), not roadside levels. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025. How we calculate this
All house prices in SwaleIs the air quality good in Swale?
Background NO₂ in Swale is 8.8 µg/m³, below the WHO guideline of 10, and higher than the typical area (7.2). That puts it in the High band. Background PM2.5 in Swale is 8.5 µg/m³, 1.7 times the WHO guideline of 5, and higher than the typical area (7.4). That puts it in the Very High band. Most of England and Wales is above the WHO guideline for PM2.5, so the bands compare places with each other rather than giving a pass or fail.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): 8.8 µg/m³
NO₂ level is High, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
High means the second-highest fifth of areas in England and Wales for NO₂.
| Very Low | up to 4.7 |
|---|---|
| Low | 4.7 to 6.5 |
| Typical | 6.5 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 9.2 |
| Very High | over 9.2 |
WHO guideline: 10 µg/m³ (in the Very High band). UK legal limit: 40 µg/m³.
Fine particles (PM2.5): 8.5 µg/m³
PM2.5 level is Very High, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Very High means the highest fifth of areas in England and Wales for PM2.5.
| Very Low | up to 6.0 |
|---|---|
| Low | 6.0 to 7.2 |
| Typical | 7.2 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 8.2 |
| Very High | over 8.2 |
WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³ (in the Very Low band). UK legal limit: 20 µg/m³, with a target of 10 µg/m³ in England by 2040.
The bands split every area we cover into fifths by its level, from Very Low to Very High. The map uses the same colours.
Which part of Swale has the cleanest air?
Stalisfield has the lowest background NO₂ of the 39 areas of Swale, at 6.2 µg/m³. Bobbing has the highest, at 10.4 µg/m³. Average house prices are shown alongside, so you can weigh air quality against cost.
| Area | NO₂ | PM2.5 | NO₂ band | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StalisfieldLow | 6.2 | 8.1 | Low | — |
| ThrowleyLow | 6.4 | 8.1 | Low | £333,750 |
| BadlesmereLow | 6.4 | 8.1 | Low | £1,115,000 |
| SellingLow | 6.5 | 8.1 | Low | £418,571 |
| EastlingTypical | 6.6 | 8.1 | Typical | £571,500 |
| LeavelandTypical | 6.8 | 8.1 | Typical | £541,000 |
| NewnhamTypical | 6.9 | 8.2 | Typical | £484,600 |
| DoddingtonTypical | 7.1 | 8.2 | Typical | £444,428 |
| SheldwichTypical | 7.1 | 8.2 | Typical | £401,000 |
| DunkirkTypical | 7.2 | 8.2 | Typical | £387,750 |
| OareTypical | 7.2 | 8.3 | Typical | £374,700 |
| LeysdownTypical | 7.2 | 8.1 | Typical | £239,735 |
| WardenTypical | 7.3 | 8.2 | Typical | £293,731 |
| LuddenhamTypical | 7.4 | 8.3 | Typical | £460,000 |
| HernhillTypical | 7.5 | 8.2 | Typical | £635,833 |
| Boughton under BleanTypical | 7.5 | 8.3 | Typical | £348,443 |
| Graveney with GoodnestoneTypical | 7.5 | 8.3 | Typical | £625,000 |
| MilsteadTypical | 7.6 | 8.2 | Typical | £537,500 |
| EastchurchHigh | 7.8 | 8.3 | High | £369,732 |
| Norton, Buckland and StoneHigh | 7.8 | 8.3 | High | £470,000 |
| RodmershamHigh | 7.9 | 8.4 | High | £384,115 |
| Lynsted with KingsdownHigh | 7.9 | 8.3 | High | £578,733 |
| TeynhamHigh | 7.9 | 8.3 | High | £274,601 |
| FavershamHigh | 8.0 | 8.5 | High | £346,883 |
| OspringeHigh | 8.3 | 8.4 | High | £512,625 |
| Lower HalstowHigh | 8.3 | 8.4 | High | £454,937 |
| TunstallHigh | 8.4 | 8.5 | High | £487,953 |
| BapchildHigh | 8.5 | 8.5 | High | £393,571 |
| UpchurchHigh | 8.5 | 8.4 | High | £425,807 |
| Minster-on-SeaHigh | 8.8 | 8.4 | High | £310,158 |
| TongeHigh | 8.8 | 8.5 | High | £302,192 |
| BredgarHigh | 8.8 | 8.3 | High | £438,428 |
| NewingtonHigh | 9.0 | 8.5 | High | £362,039 |
| HartlipHigh | 9.1 | 8.5 | High | £637,222 |
| IwadeVery High | 9.3 | 8.6 | Very High | £354,815 |
| BordenVery High | 9.4 | 8.6 | Very High | £432,860 |
| QueenboroughVery High | 9.4 | 8.4 | Very High | £231,808 |
| SheernessVery High | 9.8 | 8.4 | Very High | £202,138 |
| BobbingVery High | 10.4 | 8.6 | Very High | £327,366 |
Levels in µg/m³, 2025 annual average.
How does air quality in Swale compare with nearby areas?
Background NO₂ in Swale compared with the 6 nearest other areas in Kent.
Swale vs Maidstone
- Swale
- NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
- Maidstone
- NO₂ 9.0 µg/m³
Open comparison
Swale vs Canterbury
- Swale
- NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
- Canterbury
- NO₂ 7.9 µg/m³
Open comparison
Swale vs Ashford
- Swale
- NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
- Ashford
- NO₂ 8.0 µg/m³
Open comparison
Swale vs Gravesham
- Swale
- NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
- Gravesham
- NO₂ 11.9 µg/m³
Open comparison
Swale vs Tonbridge and Malling
- Swale
- NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
- Tonbridge and Malling
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
Open comparison
Swale vs Folkestone and Hythe
- Swale
- NO₂ 8.8 µg/m³
- Folkestone and Hythe
- NO₂ 8.5 µg/m³
Open comparison
Does this include busy roads?
No. These are background levels: yearly averages over 1 km squares, away from the immediate influence of roads. Right beside a busy road in Swale, NO₂ can be much higher. Councils publish roadside monitoring in their annual air quality reports.
What else do people ask about Swale?
More quick answers on house prices, sales, areas, green space, crime, air quality and listed buildings in Swale.
- What is the average house price in Swale?
- When did average house prices in Swale reach their peak?
- How many properties are being sold in Swale?
- What type of properties are sold in Swale?
- What price range do most homes sell for in Swale?
- What is the most expensive (and cheapest) area of Swale?
- How many parks and green spaces are in Swale?
- What is the crime rate in Swale?
- How many listed buildings are in Swale?
- How do Swale house prices compare with another area?
Where does this data come from?
Price information is from HM Land Registry, location boundaries are from OpenStreetMap, and households and population are from Nomis Census 2021 postcode estimates (21 March 2021). Parks and green space are from OS Open Greenspace. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Crime is from police.uk street-level data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: police.uk. Listed buildings and scheduled monuments are from Historic England and Cadw, and conservation areas from planning.data.gov.uk. © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source: planning.data.gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Air quality is from Defra modelled background pollution maps. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025.
Last updated 11 November 2026 at 01:16 with the latest Land Registry data (September 2026). The Swale dataset covers 5,222 postcodes.
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
About·Data methodology·Buying checklist·Privacy and cookies·YouTube